Swing seat



Oct. 2, 1934. -w B, EVANS ET A; 1,975,262

SWING SEAT Filed Feb. 8, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet l M ATTORNEYS Oct. 2, 1934; l vw, B; EVANS ET AL 1,975,262

SWING SEAT Filed Feb. 8, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS 3 to both the modified forms Patented Oct. 2, 1934 PATENT Frison( SWING SEAT Walter B. Evans, Fred C. Garratt, Jr., and Edwin F. Hoppes, Springfield, Ohio, assignors to The Everwear Manufacturing Company, Springfield, Ohio, `a` corporation of Ohio Application February 8, 1933,'Serial No. 655,794 1'5 claims. (cl. 155-58) This invention relates to improvements in seat board construction and more especially to improvements in playground swing seats. .y

An object of the invention is to provide a swingv '5 seat of vulcanized rubber so reenforced as to prevent vertical bending and also to lresist lateral torsional strains; also, to provide a'seat which .will be light in character'and economical in manufacture. l

Another object is the provision of a seat which will withstand the action of the elements for a longer period than wooden seats. i H

Other objects and advantages will appear from the accompanying specification andclaims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top planview of r the seat partly broken away to show the reenforcing structure yand also the hangers for Asame partly broken away and shown insection.

Fig. 2 is a view largely in end elevation and partly in transverse section Yof the seat, showing one of the hangers.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary ibottomrplan view of the seat on an enlarged scale with a portion :T thereof broken away to show the reenforcing frame work. y

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 4 4 of Figi. v y

Fig. 5v is an enlarged ktransverse section on the 330 line 5,-5 of Fig. l.

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary` longitudinal section on the same scale as Fig. 2, vthe section being taken (on the line 6-6 of Fig. f

Fig. 'l is a partial View. 'n perspective on the same scale as. Fig. 2 showing the metallic reenforcing parts.v Y y y n Fig.- 8 is aperspectve view of a modified form of seat comprising sections of resilient tubing re- `enforceclby a ,metallic structure, portions of the tubing being broken away togshovv the reenforcing members. .l K 4 Fig. 9. is a top plan vview of the seatillustrated yin Fig. 8, withportions of the tubingmaterial broken away to show thefreeforcement members in top plan, and also with portions of the vmembers broken away to show details ofthe construction thereof. f I

Fig. 10 is a perspectiveviewof another modi- J, fied form of reenforced seat vwith slight'differ- @o ences in construction as compared toA Fig. v8.

Fig. 11 is a top planview, similar to Fig. 9, of the seat shown in Fig. 10. a i

Fig. v12 is a fragmentary enlarged transverse section showing a `detail of construction common ofl seat, the section ture directly to the suspension means.

being taken .on the lines 12-12 of Figs. 9 and 11.

Referring to Figs. 1 to '7, inclusive, of the drawings, the vulcanized rubber portion of one form o1 the seat is indicated at 1. Obviously, such material does not have sufficient strength for the purposes for which it is intended and, therefore, a reenforcing structure is provided which in being molded in the-seat is entirely enclosed by the rubber whereby no projecting'A corners or edges are exposed to cause possible injury. y The reenforcing structure is formed in the following manner. Referring to Fig. 7 longitudinal strips 2 are maintained in spaced apart parallel relation by transversely disposed strips 3, each strip 2 and 3 being so arranged as to havethe 70 width dimension in the vertical plane whereby resistance to bending from the weight of the user is provided. The longitudinal strips 2 and the cross-strips 3 are placed in intersecting and inl terlocking relation with each other by notching each strip 3 at proper intervals with notches 5 as vshown in Fig. 5, the notches 5 extending into the body of the strip 3 a distance equal to the Width of a longitudinal stripv 2. Further stiffness is provided by the use of a flat metallic strip 6 placed 80 in the notches 7 in the central portion of the upper edges of the crossstrips 3 (Figs. 5 and 7) vand after assembly, the entire structure may be made into an integral unit by Welding or soldering.

Cavities are provided in the mold elements bearing the same general relation to each other as 4do the strips 2 and 3. These cavities are wider and deeper than the strips and thereby provide for the enclosure of the strips in the vulcanized material. In molding, one of the mold elements is partly filled with raw, unvulcanized stock, the reenforcing elementl is positioned therein'A at the proper depth. It will be seen that when the remainder rof the necessary uncured stock is applied and the mold closed, the cured seat will entirely enclose the reenforcing structure and be greatly strengthened thereby. l*

It is desirable, however, to so attach the seat to the suspension means so that the weight of the user is transmitted from the reenforcing struc- Provision is made to accomplish this feature by forming the mold elements so that other cavitiesare provided in the nishedseat near each end in both the upper and lower surfaces thereof. These cavities are transversely disposed, being at right angles to the longitudinal strips 2 and referringto the upper cavities, of which a portion of one is shown at 8 (Figs. 4 and 6) it is seen that each of these cavities extends downwardly to and exposes the upper edges of the ends of the longitudinal strips 2. En the same manner, referring to the lower cavities, a portion of which is likewise shown at 9 in the same figures, it is also seen that these cavities extend upwardly to and expose the lower edges of the ends of the same strips 2.

Into each of these cavities 8 and 9 is placed a ilat apertured metallic member. The members applied in the upper cavities are alike, one being fully shown in perspective at l0 in Fig. 7. One of the members which is applied in the lower cavities 9 of the lower surface is also seen in perspective in Fig. 7 at 11. The apertures in the meinbers 10 and 1l are locatednear the ends 'of the members and when the membcrsare Ain place are in alignment with openingsiint'he seat kproduced. at the time of molding by properly positicnedcore members in the mold elements,1and.through each of these openings and the apertured members the threaded shank 12 of an eye bolt is passed (Fig. 4) The cored openings are located so as-to pass fbe'tween the ends of certain pairs of 4the 'longitu- `din'al strips the particular ends referred to fbei'ngdenotedby the character 2 at the left end cf`li'i'gf7. It willv then be seen'that when'the nuts with which the eyefbolts are provided are ltig'htenedfthe ends of thelongitudinal strips `2 'willbe `tightly clampedfbetween the upper and lower members'land'll, andthe weight of the user'will be'transmtted directly tc the suspension members.` a a l v ,'In vthepresent drawings, a'portion of a sus- '.penslion'rnemb'e'r is shownin elevation infFigfZ, A'in which Iviewfthere `is seen alpair of links 14 having eye-ends at each end. I'I V'helowerv ends of 'the iiris 'r4 `nokmm the eyeportion 'V15 of the eye bolts-.placed in the ends of the iinished seat. -f'lfeweight of theiinished seat is kept to a low degree'by moldingmdeep pockets in the bottom surface of lthe seat wherever possible, as at'1`6 VV(Figff). These pockets are comparativelylong kand narrow, extending betweenthe rirnelike prorltionsl surrounding thestrips 2 and -3 of theA reenhforcing structure. 'In the upper surface A'of the fseatare numerous longy shallow groovesl'f whose primary .purposeA isf to provide a? somewhat rough- -enedfsurface whereby slipping of the user'is' prealthough" such groovesalso act to' lighten theA seatboudywei'ght. l l Y 'Y r Protection vagainst injury to, users Voccasior'ied Abybeing struck by the seat is obviated not only by yforming.the "seat of-rubber, as has been nientioned, but also by the yfact thatv the entire vouter dge of vthe `body of the seat formed ina mannerwherein a skirt 1S is provided. 'The skirt' 18 f'iscornparatively 'thick adjacent the body of' 'the Seat/,arid projects from the body in a euri/ e 19 ,of comparatively large radius, and lis integrally lattached at spaced intervalsv along thelongsides of the seat, `where aA large portion of the lus'ers weight is imposed on the edgeby'diagonally disposed ribs"20, several of which are seen inthe bottom planview, IFig. 2. 'I hese diagonally disfp'osed ribsdo not entirely rob the rounded edge of its inherent resiliency, for when pressure isapplied at or near a ribgthe' l'skirtl tends 'to move latferally'with'the rib, sincelin eect theribI is'lhingeably'connect'ed with the skirt andthe body ofthe seat. The skirt l18 is extendedY downwardly` a ls'uicient distance'tc protect the user against ordinary contact with the lower en'ds'joi` the eye `bolts and the ,nuts thereon, asseen in Figl 4, and Iatctlois.- depth 4the Vthickness is reduced to` provide a hihghfdegreev of resiliency.

4 In Figs. 8 to 12, inclusive, are Yshown two'l modified forms, one of which is indicated in general at 20, Figs. 8, 9 and 12. In the present instance, the frame of the. seat 20 is composed of a metallic frame, consisting of a plurality of longitudinal strips 2i tied together by spaced apart transversely disposed tie-bolts 22 and hollow spacers 23, suspended from hangers 24, fragments of which are indicated only in Fig. -8, through the medium of U-shaped clevices 25 having their low- `er free ends formed into eyes 26 which encircle the tie arrangements at the ends of the seat frame. The free ends of each clevice are spread 'apart sufficiently to occupy positions between outermost pairs of the longitudinal strips 21, as 4shown in Fig. l59, wherein the clevice at the left hand-end ofthe View is shown swung to a hori- Zontal plane to 'better illustrate the manner of Lconnecting the clevice with the frame. One of the specic advantages obtained by the use of this 'particular form of seat is that the seat may .be inverted. I nthe eventof wearlordamage to one sidcftle 'dtle'ris'id'e iriaybeh'rought `into use by'detachingthe clevices Afror'itftlfiehariger members, swinging the'cievices thr'lo'ugh a`half revofluton, inverting 'the 'seat a'ril againattachingto the hangers= 'In the present drawingstli'reeftie arrangements are employed Lto tie v`the' netallio 'frame--work t0- g'ether. The bolts areY insete'd'tlroug'haligned openings in the flat strips withv the .hollo'whjspacers interposed on the bolts hetwieen''the.- severalv strips whereby vthe Ystrips "are maintained y.in parallel relations With"` e`ach other. -When"'suspended in the ymanner ias' 'described' it willbejc'lear` tha'the strips 21'Y will with'stand be'ndig nthe vertical plane because'fof the edge'wi'se d'spositio'n of lthe strips, 'and that 'also itlispss'ible to provide'jfor ya ycerta-in desired 'degree .of `ileiibi'lit'y "whereby bending in the hiizoh'talfplanel'ispermittedjfor reasonswhich will appar. later.

Protection' for the `user' 'is"afoi"de,d by enclosing each of the longitudinal"stripsl21fin alength'gof resilient tubing somewhat lohger 'thanv the` strip 'whichlitencldses 'fIhe tiibing sections 27 jare the seat,A andtoaccoinnlodate thejin'sertionof l.the v.bolts and spacers, eachtubing section is pro- Yvidedy with"dianietrically oppo'scd1openingsjfzA vin the .wallsvthereof (Fig.12) of the`same'diameter as the spacer, `and"'spaced apart f'thelsame l the tie arrangement, spacing.v ""Thus,'jto assemble the seatsr a` strip 21vr s'in'serted jin a section `2'? of tubing with the peningsinjthe'strip angridiwith the lopenings .28 inthe iwallalandi aboltj22' 'is inserted in'v each idf"r the 'openingsf'in `the jstrip slipped, and ithe 'lower' ends of each "of the spacers,

"is a' repetition vof""the operation*describedand `when the 'desiredwidthis reached, a nut29-is:`

threaded` onv each `of "the fen-ds* of ther'bolts and the' frame VVV'work drawn tightly together# `after Mwhich the exposed openingsZBiin'the outermost 'side v@walls` arefplugged "as indicated at' 30,7Fig.

`'12. `Eachiend'Tof'eachtubing'sectionis pluggediby- .'i

.meansof a'plug 31"'of resilientmaterial such as rubber" having ian" axial .'open'ngfSi Protection is thereby afforded againstiinjury' from 'the ,ends fof 'the metallic'"stripsgrwhileffthe openings..lallow a free "circulation of airitliroughz the A interiorI of the tubing sections, and thereby reduces the tendency toward deterioration of both the metallic parts-and the tubing. It is preferable that the resilient tubing be of the type in which one ror more circumferentiallydisposed layers of fabric are imbedded in the walls, whereby protection against the cutting through the walls of the strips is prevented. A layer of fabric is indicatedconventionallyat 32, Fig. 12.v

A form having a further modification is shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and parts common to the first mentioned form have the same reference characters. The reenforcing structure is practically the same as that shown in Figs. 8 and 9 with the exception that the outermost strips of the latter mentioned form is replaced by a single strip 21a suliiciently long to extend entirely around the seat and to provide an overlapping joint 33 at one of the tie-bolts, here shown as the central bolt 22a. The tubing which acts as a protection against injury by this strip 21a is also a single piece tubing 27a, extending around the seat, the ends being in an abutting relation at the center of the central tie-bolt 22a as seen at 34, Figs. 10 and 11. As in the case of the rst described modification, the exposed side wall openings through which the tie-bolts are inserted are plugged by plugs 30a similar to the plug shown at 30, Fig. 12, which shows a transverse sectional View common to both the modified forms.

In each of the modified forms, the length of the spacers is such that when assembled, a space 35 will be provided between the parallel tube sections. This is for the purpose of providing that the outermost tube section will be free to bend inwardly in the horizontal plane to a certain degree, whereby the user is protected from possible injury when struck by the swing, it being clear that a blow from such a cause is not so severe as would happen when the tube sections are closely adjacent one another. The outermost strip 21a and tubing section 27a covering the same are bent to Vform semi-circular ends 36 for the seat as shown in Fig. 11, and the ends of the interiorly disposed shorter sections are plugged as described in connection with the plugs 31.

tie-members connecting said strips, means xto hold said strips in spaced relation, and a tubelike resilient member covering each strip. l

3. In a swing seat, a reenforcing structure consisting of a plurality of metallic strips, a plurality of tie-members connecting said strips, spacing sleeves on said tie-members between said strips,`

and a tube-like resilient covering applied to each strip.

4. In a swing seat, a reenforcing structure consisting of a plurality of metallic strips, tie-members connecting said strips, means to hold said strips in spaced relation, a tube-like resilient 'member covering each strip, and suspension members connected with said tie-members.

5. In a swing seat, a reenforcing structure consisting of a plurality of metallic strips, a plurality of tie-members connecting said strips, spacing sleeves on ,said'tie-members-,between said stripsa tube-like resilient 'covering applied to each strip, and suspension members connecte with certain of saidspacing sleeves.

6. In a swingrseat, a reenforcing structure con.

revolution pivotally connectedv with certain of 1. said tie-members between adjacent coverings.

7. In a swingseat, a plurality of reenforcing strips, means toconnect saidstrips and hold them in spaced parallel relatifni,v a-roundedconnection between the outermost strips at the respectivek ends thereof, and resilient tube-like members covering said strips and said rounded connections.

8. In a swing seat, a reenforcing structure consisting of a plurality of longitudinal strips, tiemembers connecting the same, sleeve-like spacers on said tie-members to hold the strips in spaced parallel relation, and a resilient tube-like covering for each strip, said covering having aligned openings to receive said tie-members and spacers.

9. In a swing seat, a reenforcing structure, a covering for said structure consisting of a plurality of open-ended tube-like members of resilient material, each tube-like member being applied to a part of said structure so as to encase the same, and an apertured plug in the open ends of each tube-like member.

10. In a swing seat, a reenforcing structure consisting of a plurality of longitudinal strips, tie-members connecting the same, sleeve-like spacers on said tie-members to hold the strips in spaced parallel relation, a resilient tube-like covering applied to each strip, said covering having aligned openings receiving said tiemembers and spacers, and plugs formed of resilient material within certain of said aligned openings, and axially apertured plugs formed of resilient material within the open ends of said tube-like coverings.

11. In a swing seat, a reenforcing structure consisting of a plurality of comparatively thin parallel metallic strips disposed in a direction transversely of the path of movement of the seat, the width dimension of each strip being disposed in a vertical plane when the seat is at rest, a plurality of tie rods extending through the strips transversely to the direction of the length of the same, cylindrical spacing sleeves on said tie rods between said strips each having a uniform outside diameter, and a cylindrical resilient covering applied to each strip perforated to receive the tie rods and spacing members.

12. In a swing seat, a reenforcing structure consisting of a plurality of comparatively thin parallel metallic strips. disposed in a direction transversely of the path of movement of the seat, the width dimension of each strip being disposed in a vertical plane when the seat is at rest, a plurality of tie rods extending through the strips and extending transversely to the direction of the length of the same, cylindrical spacing sleeves on said tie rods between said strips each having a uniform outside diameter, a cylindrical resilient covering applied to each strip perforated to receive the tie rods and spacing members, and a yoke-shaped suspension member connected to each end tie rod between adjacent coverings.

13. In a swing seat, a structure comprising a plurality of metallic members, means spacing said atilea'st f Asaid vmeans extending through said 15. 11n L'a swing Seat, a structure rcomprising a `plurality nf longitudinal metallic hmembers 'ar-M ranged-in' the-samebhorizontalA plane fmeansspacing said kmetallic 'members 'and interconnecting -the samegag coveringY of resilient material applied 't0'-each""metallic member 'having 'an nopening through which-salid 'member extends, -a, part atY least of said -rneansextendingthreilgh said :COV-

erin'gs.

' WALTER B. EVANS.

EDWIN. F. HOPPES.

' his fro ` its iso 

